Centrifugal machine



y J. J. MUNSON CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE Filed Aug. 4, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 1FIG! INVENTOR u /WWW oRNEY5 July 14, 1942.

J. J. MUNSON CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE Filed Aug. 4, 193 9 5 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR NUN R Y July 14, 1942. J. J. MUNSON CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE- FiledAug. 4, 1939 ZZZ-G4.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR M A oRNEY5 Ja -14', 1942. MUNSON 2 2,289,925

CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE Filed Aug. 4, 1939 5 SheetsSheet 4 RNVENTOR 5Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 4, 1939 ZZZG. 6

INVENTOR J g A ORNEY5 Patented July 14, 1942 UNITED STATES PAT ENTOFFICE CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE Joseph Jones Munson, Houma, La.

Application August 4, 1939, Serial No. 288,285

3 Claims. (01 210--63) My invention relates to centrifugal machines forthe purpose of separating solid matter suspended in liquids by means ofcentrifugal force. The invention relates in particular to. improvementson this type of machine disclosed in,-

my United States Patents, Nos. 1,703,404 and 1,794,792. The particularimprovements according to the present invention relate, first, tomechanical means for positive rotation of the individual separatorbaskets; and second, to a more eflicient method and means of freeing thebasket wall or the filtering medium from the filtered-out 'solid matter,to adapt the machine'to more eflicient continuous centrifugalfiltration.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 represents a plan view of the centrifugal machine, certainportions being shown in section and broken away.

Figure 2 represents a central sectional elevation of the machine shownin Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents in plan view the upper portion of the machine asarranged for a chain and gear drive.

Figure 4 represents an elevation of the upper portion of the machine,Figure 3, shown partly in section.

Figure 5 represents an enlarged horizontal section taken substantiallyon line 55 of Figure 6, illustrating one modification of the rotarybaskets of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure'G represents a central sectional elevation taken substantially online 6-6 of Figure 1'5.

Figure 7 represents a detail showing in larger scale and in plan viewthe arrangement of the filter cloth on the squirrel cageirods of thebasket shown in Figures 5 and 6.

The improved mechanical means for positively rotating the individualbaskets, as distinguished from the basket rotations on their own axesbrought about in my aforementioned patents, are as follows.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the central spindle !2, Figure 2, aboutWhich the individual baskets revolve, is suspended from a bearing headconsisting of housing 3 having a spherical seat at 3 which engages acorrespondingly-shaped .portion of bearing casing l in which are mountedroller bearings l l as shown. The top of bearing casing 1 engages rubberbuffer 5 carried in housing 3. The purpose of this rubber buffer is tonarrow the amplitude of swing ofthe bottom of spindle 12 as it may tendtoosci'llate or gyrate as the bearing casing moves about the sphericalseat 3 Secured to spindle l2 near the top is pulley 2, thus providingmeans for the power input to rotate the entire revolving elements of themachine on spindle l2. Surrounding spindle I2 is quill II, to the top ofwhich is secured flange 3|, and to the bottom of which is secured flange32. Secured to flange 32 by means of bolts 33 is pinion 3'4. In the hubof pinion 34 is mounted ball bearing 35 which engages collar 36 securedto spindle I2. Bolted to flange 3| at the top of quill II is pulley I,carrying a bushing 31 in bearing contact with spindle I2. Thus, meansare provided for rotatably supporting quill II on spindle 12, as it isjournalled at 35 at the bottom and at 31 at the top, and is preventedfrom downward movement by collar 36 and from upward displacement bypulley 2.

Lubrication is provided for bearing 35 by placing oil in the clearancespace between quill ll alnd spindle I2. Such oil is prevented fromleaking out by means of packing 39. Bushing 31 is lubricated through oilhole 40.

To the lower end of spindle I2 is fixed, for instance by bolts Hl, thebottom center of a cylindrical casing 60, provided with a cover 2! andcontaining four symmetrically-arranged rotary baskets 13 as shown inFigures 1 and 2. Cover 21 has an intake-opening 12 for each basket, andthe casing bottom has a discharge opening H for each basket. As Figure 2shows, each basket is composed of an upper annular flange l8 and a lowerannular flange 19, the tWo flanges being held together in spacedrelation by means of rods 20 circumferentially spaced near the outerrims of the two flanges and fixed thereto, for instance by riveting orthe like,-so that the whole structure resembles a squirrel cage. Thecentral portion of the upper flange 3 serves as basket intake, and thatof the lower flange I9 as discharge opening for the basket, the latteropening being provided with an outwardly flaring apron 59 whichprotrudes through the appertaining casing opening H. The basket is linedon the inside with filter cloth 13 The baskets are supported rotatablyin casing 63 substantially similar to the manner shown in myaforementioned patents and in the following manner. The inner rims ofthe two flanges i8 and i3 carry each a cylindrical roller race l3, andthe bottom and top of casing 60 each carry stud bolts [5 adjacent toraces I6 and on which rollers 28 are mounted by means of ball bearings23. These rollers run on their respective adjacent race Hi. In Figure 2only the inner rollers for two oppositely disposed baskets are shown.From Figure 1 it clearly appears that three rollers are provided for theraces of each basket, these rollers being suitably spaced around thecircumference of their appertaining race so that each basket issupported by its top and bottom rollers to rotate on its own verticalaxis, while it is bodily rotated with casing 60 by spindle I2. The topflange I8 of each basket is provided at its outer rim with gear teeth 38of proper pitch and gear diameter so as to mesh with the aforementionedpinion 34 fixed on quill Thus by rotating quill I| relatively to spindlel2, the baskets can be individually rotated on their own axes Withincasing 60.

The arrangement so far described operates as follows.

The machine is set in rotation in the direction of the curved arrow,Figure 1, by supplying power from pulley 4| to pulley 2, for instance bymeans of a belt. Another belt placed on pulleys and 42, 42 being securedto the same shaft as 4|, causes the quill II to rotate at a slower speedthan spindle l2. The result is first that the individual baskets revolvebodily around the quill II and pinion 34 in the same direction as themachine is rotated. Secondly, the individual baskets rotate about theirown axes, the same as if spindle I2 were held stationary and quill IIwere revolved in a direction opposite that of the machine. Thus, by theaction of pinion 34 in mesh with gears 38, all four individual basketsare revolved in this particular case in a clockwise direction, as shownby the curved arrows in Figure 1 This planetary gearing is designed sothat the baskets revolve only relatively slow on their own axes.

Where a more positive drive than can be obtained by belts is desired,gears or chains or any other type of transmission may be employed. Onemethod of driving by means of chain and gears is shown in Figures 3 and4. Referring to Figure 4, a motor 43 is mounted on a base secured tobearing casing I so that it can swing on spherical seat 3 together withquill H and spindle I2 as described with reference to Figure 1. Alsosecured to casing I is gear case 44 which carries jack shaft 45 on whichis fixed drive gear 46 corresponding to pulley 4|, Figure 2, and gear 47corresponding to pulley 42. Gear 46 meshes with pinion 48 secured tospindle I2 and gear 41 meshes with pinion 49 secured to quill Gear 45 islarger than 41 and gear 49 is larger than 48. Thus, the same conditionsprevail with reference to individual slow basket rotation as with thebelts as described above. The motor 43, with its extended shaft 50,drives shaft 45 by means of its sprocket and a chain 52 driving in turnsprocket 53 mounted on jack shaft 45.

I shall now describe the provision for a more eiflcient method ofcleaning the basket Wall or filtering medium for the purpose of adaptingthe machine to centrifugal filtration.

One means for providing more efficient continuous freeing of the basketwall or filtering medium from the filtered solids when a flexible filtercloth is used is shown in Figures 5 and 6. In this case, the individualbaskets are composed of a top flange 54 and a bottom flange 55, bothheld together by IOds 56, forming together a sort of squirrel cageconstruction similar to that described with reference to Figure 2. Everyother rod is arranged in this case, however, to slip through a hole inthe top flange and screw into the bottom flange. Thus, each alternaterod may be removed by unscrewing and pulling it upward through the holein top flange 54. The

cloth or filtering medium 51. is formed as an endless band to fit inbetween the flanges, as shown, and is held in place at its edges byrings 58 forced into the conical-shaped necks of flanges 54 and 55 andby loops 51 through which each alternate removable rod is passed, asshown in Figure 7. This cloth band is liberally dimensioned with respectto its circumferential length so that it can form small loops or pocketsbetween rods 2|] as shown in Figure 5. An apron 59, secured to race N5of lower flange 55 and extending below the bottom of revolving casing69, prevents solid material from entering the filtered liquor space 13,Figure 2.

This arrangement operates as follows. Liquor to be filtered passesdownward from annular distributor bowl H, which is mounted centrally ontop 21 of casing l6, as shown in Figure 2, and is delivered to eachbasket through an individual nozzle 6|, Figures 2 and 5, striking thesurface of cloth 5'! at C in Figure 5. The centrifugal force effectivein the direction of arrow 0 causes the liquor to flow from C outwardlyfrom spindle I2 in the direction of this arrow while, at the same time,part of the liquid is being forced through the cloth 5'! into space B,leaving the solid matter deposited on the inner surface of the cloth.This action continues, resulting in a part of the liquor fed to thebasket being filtered before the remainder reaches the point D, Figure5. In the meantime the cloth has looped outwardly between rods 56 asshown by arrows c, 0, thereby forming small pockets. At point D, in someinstances, an accumulation of unfiltered liquor may commence, forming acrescent-shaped section between points D and F indicated by thecrisscross shaded area. This area has a cylindrical meniscus facingspindle I2 and of a radius equal to the distance from the center ofspindle l2 to this meniscus. The thickness E of this section varies inaccordance with liquor accumulation, and as this dimension becomesgreater, the pressure tending to force the liquor through the cloth alsobecomes greater.

Each basket, being in slow rotation on its own central axis in thedirection of the curved outer arrow, Figure 5, by the expedientsdescribed hereinbefore, moves the cloth gradually away from under thiscrescent-shaped section of liquor, thus pulling toward F the retainedsolid matter which is held in the pockets formed by the cloth beingthrown outwardly between rods 56. This solid matter, now relatively dryafter it has slowly passed some distance beyond F, arrives gradually atG where the outward flexing of the cloth becomes reversed to an inwardflexing due to the centrifugal force which, as it were, turns thesepockets inside ou Thereby the solid matter is shaken oil the cloth andflies, due to the centrifugal force, in the direction of the arrow fromG beneath the baflle 62 (see also arrow 9 in Figure 6) and downward toH, Figure, 6, where it is discharged through the bottom of casing 60 andenters the lower portion of the outer stationary casing 63, Figure 1,surrounding casing 69. Bafiie or deflector 62 is fixed to the top 21 ofcasing 60 by means of a bridge 62 traversing opening I2 in'top 21. Thefiltered liquid, having passed through the cloth 51, enters the space Bwhere it forms a steep paraboloid around the inner wall of 60, as shownat P, Figure 2, and eventually spills out near the top through nozzle 64into the annular trough J provided at the inner wall of stationarycasing 63 from where it is drawn off through pipe connections at K, K,Figure 2.

I claim:

1. In a centrifugal machine for separating solid matter from a liquid,comprising in combination a supporting member rotatable upon its axis,means for rotating said supporting member, a squirrel cage basket havingstaves spaced around its periphery and eccentrically mounted on saidsupporting member, means for rotating said basket on its own axis as thesupporting member is rotated, flexible filter material resting againstthe inner periphery of the cage and being attached atperipherally-spaced points to the basket staves, said material havingexcess peripheral length between said points to form pockets betweenadjacent staves, means for supplying liquor to be filtered to the innersurface of said material at a point of the basket travelling away fromsaid rotary machine axis at which the pockets commence to be pressedoutwardly between the basket staves by the centrifugal a force, wherebyliquid is forced through the material and the solid matter collects insaid pockets during their outward travel from said axis, said pocketsbeing turned inside out by the centrifugal force on their reapproach tosaid axis, whereby the solid matter contained therein is forcibly shakenoff the material and delivered into the interior of the basket;

2. In a centrifugal machine for separating solid matter from a liquid, arotatable spindle, a

rotary housing fixed on said spindle, cylindrical baskets rotatablymounted in said housing around said spindle, each basket being composedof an upper and lower annular flange and axially directed rods attachedin spaced relation to said flanges near their outer peripheries to forma squirrel cage, flexible filter fabric disposed against said rodsinside of the basket and being attached to alternate rods and havingexcess peripheral length between them to form individual pockets betweenadjacent rods, means for supplying material under treatment against theinner surface of said cloth at a point near the spindle axis to permitsome of the liquid to filter through the fabric due to the prevailingcentrifu gal force as the basket periphery travels from said pointoutwardly from the spindle axis to-- ward a peripheral zone further awayfrom said axis where maximum centrifugal force prevails and to permitthe remainder of the material to flow into said zone to be filteredthere, whereby the filtered solid matter is retained in said pockets asthe cloth travels from said zone back to ward said spindle axis, saidpockets being turned inside on by the centrifugal force as theyreapproach the spindle axis, whereby the accumulated solid matter isshaken from the surface of said pockets and thrown toward the interiorof the basket, and means for deflecting said solid matter downwardly andout of the lower end of the basket.

3. A squirrel cage basket according to claim 2 having alternate rodsremovably attached to the basket flanges and loops provided at the outerside of said fabric through which said removable rods are passed toremovably attach the filter fabric to the inner periphery of the basket.

JOSEPH JONES MUNSON.

